NOTE: Elipses (...) denote words that were unreadable.
Serial numbers have been omitted.
In the interest of file size, any questions that were left blank have been omitted.

327th Squadron
44-6158 U
landed Woodbridge

Target attacked:   T/O
Time:   1218
Altitude:   23,000
Heading:   330° mag

# bombs dropped:   5 1,000 GPs
Bombs jettisoned:   T/O
Observations on bombing:    salvoed on lead ship

E/A:   5-6 Me 109s painted black in 5040N-1040E attacking from 6:00 level
Enemy use of friendly a/c:   none
Air-to-Air bombing:   none

Fighter support:   good until took wrong course then lost support when Me 109 hit
[set on fire 1106 north of Leipzig 28,000 feet] [brackets included]

AA:

no unusual AA

Route followed:   in formation to just East of target
then went around Leipzig and made turn and followed briefed route out to Woodbridge

no AA
short of gas

Crew Observations:   barges on Rhine under heavy traffic Frankfurt area

Crew illnesses/casualties:   Rad. O., B/T and WG killed

Crew suggestions:   none

Assembly:
Group:   normal
Wing:   normal

Damage:   Category 'D'

Signing Officer:   John

Statement from Bombardier 1Lt. Walter T. Prebis

Bombing was by groups in tail. Before bombs away this a/c got hit by intense and very accurate flak. This first knocked out the lead of the low group. He was seen to blow up a minute after he was hit by flak although the group leader was able to salvo his bombs before doing so. This a/c flying deputy lead likewise sustained a flak hit. A/c lost 1,000 feet of altitude and was flown out of formation. Flak had hit this a/c just aft of the trailing edge of the right wing. It stove in the fuselage at the radio compartment, blew out the floor in right of the radio compartment, blew out the glass in the radio hatch, knocked the ball turret operator halfway out of his turret so that he was left dead hanging out his turret. The radio man was never seen again. It was surmised that he was killed and that his body dropped out of the hole caused by the flak. The waist gunner was also killed since the blast had blasted his face away.

Since he was now out of formation, the bombardier did not drop his load. Navigator directed pilot out of the flak in the Leipzig area, in which the a/c now found itself. Pilot now ordered that red and green flares be shot in order to attack the attention of the rest of the group and to reassemble them.

At this time it was decided to make another run on the primary target; however, when the formation, now consisting of only eight ships, was finally brought together, it was decided to bomb the secondary target since it was in route home. [Flak, which had blown out interphone between TG and cockpit so that TG could be heard, but cockpit was not able to communicate with him.] [brackets included]

On route to the secondary target this eight-ship formation a formation of Mustangs was seen and they were directed to stay with the formation; however, all radio equipment had also been blown out so no communication with them was possible. Mustangs, however, stuck with the formation for ten minutes.

[Co-pilot tried to establish communication with the TG, but it was impossible for him to get through the radio room due to the nature of the flak damage, which had torn away the radio floor. By means of notes the co-pilot was assured that the TG was uninjured and had plenty of oxygen. He was ordered to stand by in the waist compartment should the pilot deem a bailout necessary.] [TG now tried to administer first aid to the waist gunner, but discovered that he was already dead.] [brackets included]

Now formation was in route for Eisenack. As a/c approached Eisenack, top turret gunner reported that six ME 109s were approaching from six o'clock, bent on making a tail attack. Bombardier opened his bomb bay doors prior to making a run on the secondary target. Bombardier now synchronized his bomb sight and bombs were dropped on the secondary target. Simultaneously, the ME 109s attacked this a/c.

During the attack and while calling outsiders the engineer reported that this a/c was the only one bombing the secondary. It is assumed that these a/c bombed the primary target on the first run. Bombardier now closed up his bomb bay doors and two fighters came in from six o'clock and began flying at 1100 o'clock. Bombardier and top turret both fired at the e/a [ME 109s, painted black]. [brackets included] They now peeled off and made a 180 degree and went out of sight.

Top turret man now reported that there was one of the a/c in the eight-a/c formation that was straggling. ME 109s now came back and hit the tail end of the formation. Some ME 109s began hitting the straggler. One ME 109 was seen to go down with the engine blowing up. Now all ME 109s went back and devoted their entire attention to the annihilation of the straggler.

Navigator now began to give pilot area headings by which the flak areas between this point and the briefed route might be safely negotiated. Now the interphone connection between cockpit and the nose was. [sic]

Weather had now become very bad. A/c was being forced to climb and dive between 24,000 and 7,000 to negotiate various cloud conditions. Pilot had the safety of the group in mind especially since enemy fighters were suspected to be in the vicinity.

The Gee box had been knocked out and pilotage was very difficult due the many above changes of altitude and headings that were necessary. Pilot and navigator both in pilot cockpit. This made necessary due to interphone failure.

In the vicinity of Frankfort one ship left the formation, leaving now only six a/c. Bombardier thinks this a/c left formation since he was laboring under illusion that formation was lost and that this a/c was about to lead the formation over Frankfort.

A/c now went around defenses of Frankfort on the north. A/c now got on briefed route out. Briefed route out to follow to Brussels and at this juncture the five ships that were following dispersed. [Bombardier suggests have... that they were probably low on gas.] [One a/c landed at base prior to t/a of this a/c.] [brackets included]

Channel crossed uneventfully and at same time a gradual ascent was made. This due to the fact that the pilot was afraid of ... weakening the structure of the fuselage. English coast hit at Southward and at 6,000 feet and pilot decided to land at Wood bridge. Crew was given choice of landing or bailing out. The TG was ordered to bail in any case. A/c landed safely and it was pronounced to be a salvage job. TG was brought to field unhurt [except he was stunned on landing]. [brackets included]

Bombardier relates that it was due to skill of pilot and navigator that these crews all got home.

327th Squadron
a/c 43-38364 L
# 6 lead squadron low group

Take-off:  0650
Land:   1505

Results of Bombing:   

Target Attacked:   [start of a word scribbled out]
Time:   1145
Altitude:   28,000 feet
Heading:   200°

# bombs dropped:
If not all, why?   salvoed in Leipzig area

Observations:   none

Did missing a/c bomb?   none

E/A:   Two of four FW 190s made... on attack. One observed going down in smoke and flames.
Enemy use of friendly fire:   none
Air-to-air:   no

Fighter support:   were not in support when e/a attacked. Several seemed to have gone with other formations to Merseburg.
[Off to side is written] Plane low on gas. Salvoed bombs in Leipzig area because flak was intense and accurate.

AA:

Unusual phenomena:   no unusual AA

Route Followed:   route as briefed on way in followed in ... route on way out

Crew observations:   1203 5039N-1123? - observed B-17 exploding over Leipzig
lead ship of lead sq low group peeled out of formation
one chute seen over Ap...y

Crew illnesses/casualties:   none

Crew Suggestions:   ...monitor[?]... all channels to all fighters
...monitor[?]... deb... [... to 30 missions?]

Damage:  Class A

Signing Officer:   John T. Rodriguez

[off to one side is written] Lt. Hendrickson's ship direct hit to BT

327th Squadron
a/c 231326 W

Target Attacked:   target of opportunity
Time:   1142
Altitude:   25,000
Heading:   206°

# bombs dropped:   5 1,000 GPs
Bombs jettisoned:   5159-1259
Observations on bombing:
Six a/c formation when when bombs were jettisoned and other a/c joined formation later.

E/A:   10 FW 190s, 1 109
Complete Tactics:   attacked from all around the clock
one FW came straight up from underneath
Enemy use of friendly fire:   no

Fighter support:   good except we were vulnerable while our fighters were engaged in dog fights

AA:

Unusual phenomenon:   none

Route Followed:
in formation as briefed back to Brussels
landed there due to lack of gas at 1425 hours

Crew observations:   none

Crew illnesses/casualties:   none

Crew Suggestions:   lead navigator turned into flak away from target

Assembly:
Group:   good
Wing:   good

Damage:  slight; Category A

Signing Officer:   J. D. May

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